


From the Ashes (Something More Than True Love)

by FallenAngelPoet



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Angst, F/F, Mentions of Past Torture, Mentions of past abuse, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-22
Updated: 2015-03-09
Packaged: 2018-03-14 16:20:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,665
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3417362
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FallenAngelPoet/pseuds/FallenAngelPoet
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Regina has a secret that no one knows about, a curse that has haunted her for decades. Finally she's had enough, but what happens when she find out who cursed her? and how to break it? When she reluctantly enlists the help of Emma Swan, Regina knows that this is probably the worst idea in the world, but what happens will not only surprise her, but could possibly bring her something she thought she had lost a long time ago.</p><p>Set after 4a. *Warning* does contain scenes throughout describing sexual assault, as the story goes on the descriptions will get  more detailed. </p><p>This is my first post so please comment and give as much feedback as possible! I will try to update this as frequently as possible.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

It was like clockwork.

Every year, on the same day it always came. And every year she never expected it. Her mind knew it was coming, but it was like her body had a mind of its own and was terrified every time.

She would try to stay awake, force herself too, but her body forced her to sleep. And as soon as she closed her eyes she was dragged into such a vivid memory that every emotion, every ounce of pain was felt all over again.

Regina Mills would be transported into her past almost a year after the death of, her former love, Daniel. She was a young girl who was in a forced, loveless marriage that caused her to be so lonely. That's how she ended up in the situation. She had found another who could help her with her loneliness, a maid who worked for the family at the castle. Her name was Meredith and with long dirty blond hair and blue eyes, Regina found her escape, she had been attracted to women before and the young maid wasn't the first she had been with, but there was something different about Meredith, something soothing. It was easy to be with her and it was much more preferable to trying to find common ground with her older husband, who barely looked at her besides at formal occasions. She found a warm place to lay her head at night; was that so wrong?

That's always how the nightmares started; her finally regaining some sort of happiness in an escape of another's warm embrace, then the nightmares always changed with her memories into something much darker. Her nightmare would play the memory back when her then husband found the two women kissing in Regina's chambers.

He was drunk and furious at what he saw. He threw the maid out and in a drunken rage grabbed Regina by the throat, threatening her, telling her that he told her he wouldn't tolerate her infidelity again. Telling her that he gave her a pass on the stable boy but this, he would say, was unacceptable it was wrong and he would not be embarrassed like this.

She felt his grip tighten and her present body would react the same way it did in the past. Regina reached for her neck, gripping his wrist and gasped for air. She felt nothing but fear and pain as her older husband used his drunken strength to toss her to the ground like a rag doll. He kept repeating himself; he wouldn't tolerate this, he wouldn’t be embarrassed like this, he couldn't let her wrongdoings go unpunished, what she did was sick and that she needed to face the consequences. He repeated himself over and over again as he hit her, pinning her back to the ground. Regina tried everything to scream, but she couldn't not with the constant onslaught of her vengeful husband.

Punches and kicks ravaged her torso and face, and she felt helpless.

Then her memories would take her further into darkness as her husband grabbed her by the throat once more and pushed her face down into the feather bed that was still made from the morning. She felt him behind her and she tried to fight her way free, but had her trapped. She clawed at the blankets beneath her, trying to reach for something; anything. The bed muffled her screams and then her mind went blank feeling all of the increasing pain that was being inflicted. She felt every movement and every burning , searing pain that accompanied them, and all that filled her ears was his repeated words in her head over and over and over again until she would wake.

Every year this happened and every year Regina managed to halt her screams in her throat, but not this year. A blood curtailing scream let loose from the brunette's mouth as she shot up in her bed. The dim light from the window casting a shimmering glow on her as the sweat dripped onto the comforter. She was shaking uncontrollably, her chest heaving and struggling to find some sort of oxygen. Her hand reached at her neck and rested there as if to subconsciously make sure it was free from his grasp.

She managed to get her bearings and heard the door to her bedroom fly open. _Shit_.

"Mom?! Mom, are you okay?" Henry said as he rushed into her room and started looking around to make sure nothing was in there.

"I-I heard you screaming and I thou-I thought that something happened. Are you okay?" he rambled.

Regina took a deep breath, pushed the nightmare back, and tried to give a small smile to her son, "Yes, Henry I'm fine. I promise. Just go back to bed dear." He looked at her, not completely believing her.

She scooted to the edge of the bed and put a hand on her son's cheek, "I'm fine, really I am." She said gently, brushing his cheek with the pad of her thumb, "Now go back to bed, you have school in the morning." He nodded his head, still not quite sure if he should believe her and walked back to his bedroom leaving the door cracked slightly. Once she heard her son's bedroom door shut she let out a long uneven breath.

 She hated lying to him.

Regina sat there for several more moments trying not to focus on the curse she had been wearing for so many years. That's what he told her it was, a curse; one that would be an annual reminder for her not to test him again. She thought that with his death it would go away, but that was foolish, her late husband was many things but magical was not one of them. He needed someone to cast it for him, someone powerful, someone who probably had a benefit for this insanely cruel curse. But who?

All of these thoughts raced through Regina's head as she sat in the darkness of her bedroom. She couldn't take it anymore; she wasn't going to let this haunt her any longer, especially now that Henry found her like that. She couldn’t let that happen again, she never wanted her son to see her like that and she knew he would ask questions even now.

Finally, Regina decided that anymore sleep for the night was a bad idea and got up sliding into a pair of soft slippers, draping a black silk robe around her t-shirt and shorts, and pulled her hair into a messy ponytail. She was determined to find out how to break this curse and nothing was going to stop her even if that meant going back into the ways of the Evil Queen.

She made her way down the stairs, stopping and checking on her son along the way. She stopped in the kitchen and started a pot of coffee. Looking at the digital clock on the coffee machine she groaned at the time, 3:24 a.m..

"Fabulous, today is going to be just lovely" she mumbled sarcastically to herself.

Waiting for the coffee to brew she went to grab an apple from the bowl on the counter and noticed her hands were still shaking. She clasped her hands together and shook her head. This nightmare, this memory still had so much impact on her even though it had been so long. She had always pushed it down, not thought about it, and she had become very good at that; but now she was finally getting things back to normal. Yes, Robin was gone and she was devastated about that, but she and Henry had gotten things back and honestly he was the only man she wanted in her life at this point. She needed to do this for him she needed to face this for him.

No. She needed to do this for herself because it was about damn time this ended.


	2. Chapter Two

Regina spent the rest of the early morning hours in her study looking through the books she had on curses and spells trying to find some sort of answer as to how to break this curse, and who put it on her in the first place. As the darkness of night turned to light she sighed and slammed her current book shut. Her study was a mess of papers and books and none of them held the answers she was looking for.

Regina reached for her phone and looked at the time 6:37 a.m., Henry would be up soon for school and she needed a break. She had taken all the mayoral duties back over from Snow so she had a full day ahead of her. After taking a long, hot, much needed shower she finished getting ready and walked back down her staircase to find her son in the kitchen with a bowl of cereal.

He stopped mid-spoonful and looked at her with worried eyes and tried to hide them behind a smile.

"Hey mom, how are you?" he said continuing with the spoonful of cereal. She knew that simple question had a double meaning to her son. He was still trying to figure out what happened last night and as much as he tried to ask innocent questions, it was written all over his face.

"Good morning to you too," she stated pouring another cup of coffee (even though this was the start of her third pot for the day she needed it). She also knew she needed to nip this in the butt and try to quell her son's questions for the time being. Although she was proud of how she raised Henry, she did at some point regret raising him in such a way that he was defiant when it came to things he wanted to know, no matter what his intentions. Regina placed her coffee cup on the bar top across from her son and leaned on it.

"Henry, about last night," she started, his brown eyes perking up from his half empty bowl," I'm sorry for startling you. I had a nightmare is all, but everything's fine. _I'm_ fine."

"I know you say that, but…I've never seen you like that before," he looked down and started swirling his spoon, "I mean I guess I always thought that since you were the Evil Queen that you didn't get scared liked that, that you didn't have nightmares."

He looked back up at her when she replied, "Honey, everyone gets scared and most people have nightmares, but they are just dreams that's all; they aren't real." She leaned over the counter and rested a hand on his in comfort.

Oh how she wished she could believe what she was saying.

"It's normal, even for me." She smiled at him, "well as normal as Storybrooke can get."

She ruffled his hair and he gave a small laugh. Henry knew there was something more to it than just a nightmare. He was smarter then he thought the adults in his life gave him credit for and learned a long time ago when his adopted mother was lying or hiding something. She had promised that she wouldn’t do that to him, wouldn't lie to him anymore. Why would she do it now though?

_Whatever it is she's hiding, it must be bad. She wouldn't lie to me unless she felt like she had to. Right? But what is it? She shouldn't have to deal with it alone._ He thought to himself as he finished his cereal.

A few minutes later they were both headed out to the car and off to school and work for the day.

After dropping Henry off at school Regina made her way to the Mayor's office. Thermos of coffee in hand, she walked to her desk to find the pile of paperwork had doubled since yesterday. Since the whole, town being surrounded by ice and snow monsters and freezing magic scenario did a number on the town, the amount of work had gotten a little out of control. Snow still helped out with dealing with the people when it came to being Mayor, but Regina was the one who dealt with all of the paperwork. I mean as much as she didn't want the Charmings involved in the day to day business of running a small town, she didn't really have a choice in the matter.

Usually she would have to deal with Snow at some point during her day to deal with whatever crisis was going on with someone in the town. Today, however, Regina did not want to see her. They had become something of well, she wouldn't say friends, but civil and tolerable towards each other, but on these days, the days after, she was the last person the former Evil Queen wanted to deal see. Though Snow did ruin her life on several different occasions, this particular hatred was misdirected and she knew that, but she couldn't help it. Every time she looked at the woman all she could see was his eyes.

Regina banished the thought as soon as it arrived, she was not going to dwell on that particular part of the day, but she still hoped she wouldn’t have to deal with her.

\--------------------

It was Emma's turn to pick Henry up from school. He had been spending alternating weeks with his two mothers in a sort of custody arrangement that he had bartered for.

Emma was waiting in the sheriff cruiser for Henry. She had taken a break from the slow day at the station, but was still on call in case something happened. As she waited for her son, Emma scrolled through her calendar on her phone checking dates about when Henry's activities were and when she was supposed to return him to Regina. She didn't mind this custody thing they had agreed to. Regina and her were getting better, she considered them friends but she wasn't quite sure if her former adversary felt the same way.

 Ever since bringing Marian back and then Robin choosing to leave she knew Regina was hurting and she was there for her as much as Regina wanted; mostly that entailed being a drinking buddy at the end of the week, but for now she was ok with that. In fact, Regina could actually be fun when loosened up a bit.

Emma continued to sit and wait for Henry. _What is taking him so long?_ She thought to herself

_He's getting more and more like Regina I swear, taking forever for some ridiculous reason._ Emma huffed at her thoughts. It was starting to get ridiculous, she got that the kid grew up with Regina, but did he really have to start getting her perfectionist attributes? It was even to the point that he was taking forever to get ready in the morning just like his other mother.

_I mean really who takes so long to get ready in the morning when you have magical powers and could just flourish your hands and *poof* you're ready._ Emma rolled her eyes at the thought. She could picture it, her waiting at the mayoral mansion for her to leave so she could pick up Henry, because heaven forbid she couldn't just pick him up earlier while Regina is still getting ready but no she had to wait until _her majesty_ was ready to leave so she could say a proper goodbye to him. It was stupid and she had a feeling the brunette did it on purpose. But it's not like Regina taking forever was all bad, she always looked flawless when she came down the staircase with her heels clicking, usually in a suit with a silk shirt that was buttoned up just low enough to give a glimpse at her cleavage or a dress that fit her curves perfectly. Her hair was always perfect although Emma did like it when it was shorter, but it still looked good. Her makeup was always done to perfection too with her dark eyes and full lips painted in red and….

Emma gulped. _I really need to stop thinking about this right now._

She had caught herself doing this more and more lately, thinking about Regina. She wasn't necessarily thinking about anything inappropriate, most of the time, but why in the world was she even thinking about her like that in the first place? Before she hated the woman, but it seemed like ever since their adventure in Neverland she hated Regina less and less as the days passed and then these damn thoughts started and she couldn't control them.

Ok, so maybe Emma found Regina attractive… incredibly attractive….with her whole dark and mysterious business professional/reformed Evil Queen thing, but still that didn't explain things.

Emma had always been attracted to women just as much as she was to men, but she never really liked to put a label on it and the only one in Storybrooke who knew was Ruby because well, she was the only one who asked, something about her heightened wolf sense picking up on things. She kind of figured that Hook had some idea, especially since they had been spending more time together and with the pirate's wandering eye and unfiltered comments towards beautiful women, she may have agreed with him, more than one who was simply appreciating attractiveness would do, on some occasions with his ogling.

Hook, she didn't know exactly where that was headed or where she even wanted it to head. He could be sweet and charming at some times and yeah they had their moments. A few dates, some kisses, but she never had the same thoughts about him that she had about Regina.

Regina. Regina and her snarky comments, her husky voice, her beautiful brown eyes that sometimes had hints of a golden topaz, that damn scar that etched itself just above her upper lip, how her lips would just curve at the slightest when she was smirking or trying to hide back a smile…

"Are you going to start the car Mom?" she jumped in her seat at the sound of her son's voice. She had been to engrossed her own thoughts to even hear him get into the car. "You okay?" Henry said inquisitively when she jumped. She gathered herself a bit before answering.

"Yeah, kid, I'm fine sorry it's been a long day." _Damn it! What the hell is going on with this? It's just Regina that’s all._

Henry shrugged at her response and started telling her about his day as she started the car and drove towards Granny's.

They arrived at the diner and got a booth and ordered their usual. Henry was still going on and on about things at school, a new project he was working on and a school bake sale that was coming up next week for a fundraiser. Emma sat and listened, stirring the straw through her Coke, and their food arrived a few minutes later. Their conversation slowed down after getting their food, mostly because Henry dived right into it like he hadn't eaten in days.

"So, what did you want to do after this kid?" Emma asked then took a bite out of her burger. "We can go over to the station if you want, David's working and apparently he's been dying to show you something."

"Yeah, that sounds fine," was all the response she got, Emma tilted her head and wiped her mouth with a napkin. Something was up with him she knew it. Henry was twirling one of his fries around in a pool of ketchup with a look on his face that was a mixture of concerned and confused.

"Everything okay Henry?"

Her son nodded, still not taking his eyes off of the probably cold French fry between fingers. Then after a moment he looked up. "I don’t know, something happened this morning with Mom."

Emma studied him and waited for him to continue. _Something happened to Regina?_

"I woke up in the middle of the night because I heard a scream," he began, "I went into her room and she looked, I-I don't know, scared I guess. I thought something had happened I never heard anything like that before."

Henry paused and let the fry fall back onto his plate. "She told me that everything was fine, but obviously it wasn't I mean people don't scream in the middle of the night for no reason. Then this morning she apologized for scarring me and said she just had a nightmare, but that everything was fine. I know she lied to me though and I know she only did it because she doesn't like bringing me into her problems, but" he let out a long breath, "Mom, I've never seen her like that before and whatever it was it-it was like it terrified her."

Emma gave her son a reassuring look and placed a hand on his, "Regina is tougher than she looks, kid, we all know that and I'm sure whatever it was she's taken care of it."

"I know. I just don't want her to deal with whatever it is alone, it clearly bothered her this morning and I know she didn't sleep at all after it." Her son's eyes peeked up at her like he just realized something huge, "You could go talk to her, make sure she's alright."

"Oh look kid I-I don't know about that, usually if something's bothering Regina it's best to just leave her be." Henry just looked at her, purposefully pouting his bottom lip and just looking at her his big brown eyes.

" _Please_ Emma," he was pleading now, this wasn't going to go her way she just knew it. Her son was smart and knew how make her melt and do whatever he wanted. "You two have become friends, and it would mean a lot to me. And especially since it's your week now, she's all alone."

Emma just started at him as he continued his pleading, will you just do it for me, face. After a while she let out a long sigh and threw her hands up in defeat. "Fine, I'll go talk to her and make sure she's alright, but if I get a fireball to the face, I'm blaming you."

He just smiled and started back in on his food and she just shook her head and took a drink form her pop.

_Terrified? Regina? That doesn't sound right._ She thought furrowing her brow. _It's none of my business, but I know she doesn't like Henry seeing her vulnerable at all so she's probably expecting some sort of question since he saw her. You know what, I'll just go and tell her that Henry told me and that he wanted to make sure she was ok and that if she wants to talk I'm here. We are friends…I think._

After finishing and paying for their meal Emma took Henry to the station and dropped him off with his grandfather, making sure to tell them not to get into any trouble. David may be responsible most of time, but with Henry it seemed like he turned back into a kid sometimes. Once she was satisfied that her father was not going to get her son into any trouble, she headed out to her yellow bug and started towards the Town Hall and the Mayor's office.


	3. Chapter 3

The mayor's office is very quiet that afternoon as Regina continues to look over proposals and other paperwork. Apparently the damage done to the town was more extensive than they first thought, and everyone decided it probably would be best to not fix things magically.

Paper after paper, it's becoming so monotonous that she's pretty sure she has countless amounts of tiny paper cuts on the pads of her fingers. Finally, after what seems like forever she gets through the entire stack on her desk and throws her hands up in excitement. _Am I really getting this excited over done paperwork?_ She rolls her eyes at her own actions only to catch something out of the corner of her eye.

There's another stack.

"You have _got_ to be kidding me," she says with an exasperated groan and drops her head onto her folded arms resting on her desk. _Would it really be that bad if they just got incinerated? I could just say I never got them and no one would ever know._

She contemplates that thought very seriously when she hears a knock at the door of her office and raises her head to see the blonde haired Sherriff standing in her doorway. _Great, I have done so well with not having to deal with a Charming today._

Regina waves Emma in and sits up straighter after realizing she was still slouching. "Hello, Miss Swan, what can I do for you?" she says in her most mayoral tone that she had been forcing herself into lately when around Emma.

For some reason or another Regina found herself looking at the Savior differently over these past few weeks since Robin left. Emma had been a friend to her, even though it was still kind of her fault for bringing Marian back and ruining her chances with Robin in the first place, but things had gotten better. Regina was moving on and for some reason moving on to her mind meant that her feelings for Miss Swan came clamoring back to her.

Between the constant bickering and hatred that clouded her judgment when idiocy reigned supreme Regina had always seemed to find herself going back to Emma, despite her newfound hero complex and her lack of a fashion sense outside of red leather; even though she found she was getting use to the latter. When they first met it was simple attraction and testing limits, and even when they were at each other's throats, Regina always felt a pull of sorts, that instead of making her want to kill her son's other mother, it made her seek her out and over the years it seemed like that pull was getting stronger; especially since Neverland.

Now, however, the former Evil Queen was simply exhausted and wanted nothing more than to go home, but despite her exhaustion Regina still felt her heart go erratic, as it had started doing when the two of them were together, and made the decision to try and make this visit as quick as possible.

Emma held up a file of paperwork that she had taken from her desk before she left the station, "I got those forms done that you asked for." Regina's head immediately fell back onto her folded arms and let out a completely un-Queenly, exhausted sigh. She brought her head back up and shook it, rubbing her temples with her fingers.

"Of all the times you decide to actually do the paperwork on time, you choose the one instance when I have done nothing but stare at paperwork all day?" she sighs again and reaches out to take the file form Emma. She hoped that was the end of the conversation, but when she realized that the blonde was still standing in her office looking rather nervous she raised an eyebrow, "Is there something else Miss Swan?"

Emma swallowed and tried to get some sort of confidence, she really didn't want to piss Regina off but she was just asking if she was okay for Henry's sake. "I-um was just coming by to see if you were alright." She stated plainly and Regina's eyebrow still quirked upward. "I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be alright Miss Swan?" _Please do not be asking about what I think you are._

Emma took a deep breath and a couple of steps forward so she was directly in front of the Mayor's desk. "Henry wanted me to come over here and check on you. He said you had some sort of nightmare last night and he found you and was scared. So, I'm just here to let you know that I'm here if you want to talk."

Regina leaned back in her chair, crossed her arms over her chest and looked at the woman in front of her, "I'm quite alright Miss Swan and I appreciate the offer, but it is none of your business what happens in my personal life. Frankly, with all of the meddling your family has done to ruin my life you are one of the last people to whom I would confide in if I needed too." she snaps her mouth shut after the words came out and she realized how harsh they were, she didn't want to start another bickering match between her and Emma. They had become sort of friends lately and she liked having her around, but between her exhaustion and everything else the words just slipped out.

Emma rolled her eyes and threw her hands up, "Seriously Regina? Why do you always have to be so insufferable? I come over here to be a friend because our son was freaked out and all I get in reply is a jab at something I have apologized profusely for!" Emma could feel the anger building within her. As much she was finding she liked Regina, she could be a very big bitch sometimes and Emma knew it was usually to deflect whatever was going on, she had picked that up a while ago, but seriously she was just trying to be a friend.

She knew she just walk away, just turn around and leave, but instead her stubbornness kicked in and therefore, her filter was lost completely. "I am only here because of _our_ son, Regina, because he thinks that there is still an ounce of goodness left in you and that you deserve to not deal with everything alone. Do you even realize how terrified he was for you? Because he's never seen you that terrified, he didn't think that was possible with you. And you? You're just acting like everyone is an annoying imbecile just because we actually care. You don't even seem to care that he's worried about you!"

Regina's jaw tightens and her body stiffens at Emma's words, "I would be careful with your words Sheriff." Regina really did not want to do this right now and she knew of the woman's stubbornness, but she was not about to have someone insult her in any way.

"I knew I should have taken Henry back to New York when I had a chance, at least there he wouldn't have to deal with people he cared about pushing aside because they refuse to accept someone being kind to them."

That was it, the words that shattered the walls holding back her anger at the woman standing in front of her and Emma knew it. The Savior opened her mouth to apologize, but before she could the previously seated brunette in front of her had bolted to her feet and slammed her hands down on the desk in front of her so hard she was surprised it didn’t break. Regina's eyes were nothing but black with anger and Emma took a step back, bracing herself from the Evil Queen she was sure was going to appear. However, instead of continuing this match that would only end even worse than what it already was, all Regina said in the most dangerously low voice Emma had ever head, was one word.

" _Leave."_

Emma opened her mouth to apologize, but shut it thinking better than to try to reason with the older woman at the moment so she turned and left without a word. Emma paused in the hallway down from the Mayor's Office; throughout the years it became easier and easier for her to read Regina and with what just happened all she could think about were the dark eyes that had seared into her with such anger moments ago. There was more, she realized, something behind the anger, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. Mentally kicking herself over and over again for her comments, she made her way back to her bug.

\--------------------

A few hours later, Regina found herself home in her study with a glass of wine and more books on curses and spells, continuing on her search to try and find out who cursed her and a way to break it. She was getting nowhere and it was incredibly frustrating, what was more infuriating to her was that she kept finding her mind going back to the events of earlier that day.

_Who the hell does she think she is? She may be 'The Savior' but that doesn't give her a right to get into everyone's business._ She thought swirling the wine around her mouth. She sighed then and set her glass down. What had happened earlier was stupid on both of their parts, Regina shouldn't have taken a jab at the Sheriff and Miss Swan shouldn't have said what she did, but there was nothing she could do about it now; it was done. She was trying to be better, for Henry she had made him a promise and she intended to keep it so she was sort of proud of herself for ending the fight before magic got involved. She was finally getting him back and he didn't think she was evil anymore and she would be damned if she would tarnish that.

As the night progressed and the wine bottle slowly emptied, Regina found herself completely losing focus on the books in front of her and instead her mind wandered once more to Emma and she found herself heading into very dangerous territory. Her thoughts quickly transitioned form how irritating Emma was, to how much magical potential she had, to how Regina loathed her for breaking her curse, and somewhere along to the line her mind transferred to how good Emma looked in her red leather jacket and skinny jeans and then how she would look out of them, and then to how good the blonde would look out of them and undernea--

_I have had way too much wine._ Regina stopped and corked her nearly empty wine bottle and unsteadily made her way to the kitchen to put it away. After returning to her study, Regina started dozing off, but her dreams quickly switched as she fell deeper into sleep.

_"You are sick! I will not be embarrassed by your disease! You need to be cured, you need to be taught a lesson, you need to face the consequences for your actions! Don't fight me, accept your punishment."_

Regina woke with a gasp and sat back up in her study chair. Confused she looked at the clock, it was midnight. _What the hell, that shouldn't have happened. He shouldn't be in my head. The cursed night was over. Why is it still here?_

Regina tried to calm her breathing. This had never happened before, it was always just one night a year, so what was different? She didn't know but she needed to find out. Grabbing a bottle of water, she put her hair up and began a second restless night.


	4. Chapter 4

"Henry! Come on you're gonna be late for the bus!" Emma yelled as she forced one arm into her jacket. It was the morning after her confrontation with Regina and she was still a bit irritated. Henry like every other morning was taking longer and longer to get ready.

"I'm coming I'm coming calm down." He said leisurely strolling into the living room of the apartment. He just looked at her like _she_ was the one that was being this difficult at 7:30 in the morning.

She rolled her eyes at her son and tugged him along as he shrugged his coat on, "Your becoming more and more like Regina I swear."

He just grinned at her, "You still love me."

"Yeah, well you're testing the limits on that one kid."

As the bus arrived a few blocks down form the apartment, Henry stopped and got an incredibly panicked look on his face, "Shit! I forgot my history project at Mom's! I gotta present today!"

"Language!" she scolded, Emma had been trying to sway her son away from cursing, mostly because Regina had yelled at her for being a bad influence on him in that regard. "I'll get your history project, don't worry. You'll have it before class. Now get on the damn bus."

After sending Henry off to school the Sheriff headed to the station to make sure everything was set for the day, then headed to Town Hall. However, as she pulled up into the parking lot she looked around and noticed the missing Mercedes that belonged to the Mayor.

"That's odd," Emma said aloud, doing another take around the parking lot to see if she missed the black vehicle, "She's usually here by now."

Slightly confused, Emma stopped at Granny's to see if Regina was there for breakfast but the brunette was nowhere to be found. Deciding on getting a coffee to go, Emma asked Ruby if she had seen her and still nothing. At this point, Emma transitioned from annoyance that she couldn't find the woman, to worry that something was wrong. Regina may have changed a lot since they had first met, but something's stayed the same, one of them being her punctuality for her routine.

\-------------------

Her throat was closing in on itself, his grip was so tight and she couldn’t breathe. Her hands tried to claw his away from her, but nothing worked he just kept squeezing tighter and tighter as he spoke.

_"How could I be so naïve? You are sick and I should've known. I should've made sure this abomination within you was gone before I married you. You're sick Regina."_

Regina's breath was all but gone as her body went with light with flight as he threw her. A splitting pain seared through her head as she hit the cobbled ground of her chambers. She lay there trying to gain her bearings as her husband towered over her still speaking in his drunken rage.

_"You are an embarrassment; this infidelity is something that I won't tolerate. I should have you executed for this you diseased whore. I should have your head!"_

He began kicking her, her ribs and torso becoming increasingly bruised with every hit. She was just regaining her breath only to have it knocked right back out of her. She folded into herself, bringing her knees to her chest to try and protect her body, that didn't stop him he continued to kick and kick and kick the metallic toe of his boot starting to break flesh.

_"I thought this was through, your disrespect, when the stable boy was killed by your mother. But now? Now you disrespect me and embarrass me like this when I find you with a_ woman _? After I let you into my home? Fed you, gave you power, married you? I thought you were smart Regina, I thought you were above this sickness, this disease. I guess I was wrong, and I will make sure that you won't ever embarrass me like this again!"_

His hand was back at her throat, dragging her up so her feet were ghosting over the cool floor that was spattered with dripping blood from her torso and back. He flung her onto the bed, burying her face into the furs and feather pillows that encased it. He kept repeating himself over and over again and Regina couldn't do anything; her mind was so fixated and lost at the same time, all she wanted to do was run. She felt the tears beginning to form at the corners of her eyes but fought them back, she may be pinned and terrified, but she was not going to give him the satisfaction of her tears.

As the pain began to radiate through her body as he tore her she bit her lip to the point of drawing blood. As she felt the same warm substance move down her thighs, she buried her face into the furs to muffle her screams.

\----------------

Emma pulled up to 108 Mifflin Street to see Regina's car still in the driveway. Relief flooded as she hoped that the Mayor was inside. A buzz form her phone got her attention, Killian, the screen read.

**Killian: Hello love I was just wondering if by any chance you had lunch plans for the day?**

A small smile started at the curve of her mouth only to be replaced by a sigh. He could be sweet sometimes but she did need to have a talk with him about where they were going. Just as she hit send on her reply confirming lunch, she heard it.

The scream rang out against the quiet of the morning. Emma was out her car and at front door of the mansion in what seemed like seconds. Using her magic, she unlocked and flung the door open drawing her weapon and stepping inside.

"Regina!" Emma yelled as she moved further into the foyer, "Regin-" she stopped when she say the woman she had been looking hunching over her desk with her palms flat against her ears. Emma ran forward into the study as Regina let out another scream, her eyes pinned shut. Purple smoke started cascaded around her and then it lit the books around her on fire.

Regina couldn't escape it. She knew she was awake, but her mind was being held in place by the curse, forcing her to relive the pain of the memory. Her entire body was searing with so much pain she could hardly breathe.

Emma rushed around the desk, avoiding the flames and pulled Regina out of the chair. "Regina! Regina!" she shook the woman trying to get her to open her eyes.

Regina could hear something through the blank pain that filled her. She recognized the voice, Emma. She tried to focus on the voice calling her name and in an instant the hold on her mind was gone and she opened her eyes to blonde hair and red leather.

"Emma?"

Emma sighed in relief and then turned back to the flames that were blazing on the desk above them. Regina noticed them too and with a flick her hand they disappeared. "Are you okay?" Emma asked pulling the brunette to her feet and helping her to a couch.

"What are you doing here Miss Swan?" Regina said instantly putting on her mask. She felt vulnerable and that was one thing she never wanted to feel.

"Seriously? You can't just deflect and you sure as hell can't use the excuse that it's nothing because that clearly was not nothing."

Emma sat there waiting expectantly for a response when she noticed Regina was still wheezing. Putting a hand on the other woman's she said, "Regina whatever it is, I'm here. I know how cheesy that is but it's true. You don't like people seeing you scared and I get that Regina I do, but you need help with whatever is going on just say the word and I'm here."

Regina just studied the woman, searching for any sort of deception even though she knew there was none there. Things were escalating and she didn't know why; she hadn't made any progress on figuring this out and even as much as she wanted to keep this to herself there was something about Emma that made her trust her. She let out a shaky sigh, "Ok, I need your help."

The women simply sat in the study as Regina explained to Emma what happened all those years ago and what was happening now. Emma sat in silence as Regina spoke, she knew there was something to the older woman; something that had caused her to break more than just the death of Daniel but the Sheriff never knew what it was and now that she did, she wanted to vomit. Everything she ever knew about King Leopold was what Snow remembered; that he was a kind father and a just king, but was distant after the death of her mother. But now? She wanted to help Regina more than anything, she felt more than just a responsibility because it was her family that had did this, she wanted to help Regina because she realized she genuinely cared about the other woman and no one should have to relive something like that.

"We will find a way to break this Regina, I promise. And then we will find who cursed you." Emma said with a determined look squeezing the other woman's hand. Regina sighed in relief, it felt good to tell another person, it was something she rarely ever did, but this felt right.

After gathering themselves from what just happened, Emma told Regina to go take a shower in the nicest way possible while simultaneously telling the woman she stunk of wine. Once Regina was upstairs Emma began scouring book after book. It was only after Regina had returned and her phone went off with a phone call from the school did she remember about Henry's project.

Just as she was about to leave and Regina was going to head to her office, despite protests by the blonde, Emma's attention was turned back the Mayor.

"Emma?" Regina started as the other woman looked back at her, "Thank you, for helping me with this."

A smile formed on Emma's lips, "I made you a promise to help you find your happy ending Regina, and I'm not going to let a little curse stand in the way of that. Plus, I have some practice in breaking curses."


	5. Chapter 5

It had been a few days since Emma had joined Regina in this search to break the curse and needless to say, they had gotten absolutely nowhere. Every day, after work, Emma would head over to the Mayoral Mansion and continue to scour the books that began to form piles that they had deemed, 'utterly useless', 'where the hell did this come from', and 'go back through when we're more sober'. This was becoming irritatingly unproductive and between their more than normal consumption of wine and the situation, Emma has had enough.

"This is getting us nowhere" she said, throwing her hands above her head and letting a book hit the floor with a thud.

"Thank you for that marvelous observation Miss Swan," Regina retorted rubbing her eyes with an exasperated sigh, "however did you come to that conclusion."

Too exhausted to give a halfway decently annoyed glare, Emma just laid back on the floor of the mayor's study. Settling her hands behind her head she looked over at Regina who was sitting cross legged in the middle of the loveseat. Emma noticed the dark circles that had become increasingly noticeable the past few days under the brunette's eyes. She hadn't been sleeping, the nightmares were persisting she was having them almost every night now each one more detailed and longer than the last. Emma knew it took a lot out of her, dealing with these painful memories coming back so vividly and even though she didn't know what the other woman was going through, she was there as much as Regina wanted. Though the other woman would never _ever_ admit the older woman appreciated it.

Regina's hair was pulled back into a small, messy bun and she was wearing a simple t-shirt and pair of khaki pants. Emma had rarely seen Regina like this, usually she was all very professional and put together; she only saw the woman like this after a very intense day of cleaning or gardening.

Emma's eyes landed on Regina's features and studied them as the other woman went back to focusing on the book on her lap. Emma let her eyes wander from focused eyes to the scar she tried not to think about to the bottom lip that currently was trapped between teeth as Regina flipped page after page. Emma had tried to keep her thoughts about the older woman at bay since she started helping her, the situation definitely did not need her drooling over the beautiful woman she was spending more and more time with, but sometimes her brain would betray her.

This was one of those moments.

Try as she might the blonde couldn't move her eyes from the other woman's lips. Her mind wandered as to how they would feel pressed against her own and how Regina might taste, she assumed apples but there was highly stereotypical. Her traitorous mind began wandering into very dangerous territory as her eyes pried themselves away from the bitten lip and, just as traitorously, moved downward to the opening of Regina's t-shit.

_Of course she would wear a low cut t-shirt, of course she would. God Emma snap out of it! You're staring and this is definitely not the time. You're supposed to be helping not being a completely loon._

In the middle of her thoughts, Emma hadn't noticed Regina look up from the book. Quirking a perfectly manicured eyebrow and briefly looking down to follow the Sheriff's gaze, Regina cleared her throat. "Miss Swan? Have you come to some sort of epiphany in your dazed thoughts?"

Immediately, Emma turned her face downward, back to the book she had tossed to the side earlier. Her face was becoming very warm and flush and she knew had been caught.

"Not really, why couldn't your mother have made some sort of 'Curse Index' or something. It would make this a hell of a lot easier and less dusty." Emma said sitting back up and flipping through the pages.

"I mean really, you would think it would think it would be so much easier to keep your curses organized rather than in these old books. Some of these are completely ridiculous. A spell to turn your cheating lover into a frog? Really? How much did that one get used. And this one 'To Conjure the Perfect Speci--"

"Shut up and back up Emma." Regina interrupted, she was wide eyed and looked like she just realized the meaning of life or had a vision about the winning Power Ball numbers.

"What?"

"What did you say before? An Index?"

"Um? Oh yea I said I wish your mother had a curse index to sort all of these things out. But I don't see how that has anything to do with this." Emma could see the gears working behind Regina's eyes.

Regina's lips began to tug at the edges into a smile of discovery, "She did. She always kept a little black book of all the spells and curses she had come across. " Regina begins excitedly, "Why didn't I think if this earlier? She wrote down everyone who had cast them, how powerful they were, what the spell did. She was so consumed with wanting power she wanted to know who would have to deal with along the way."

"And you think she might have come across this curse or someone powerful enough to cast something like this?" Emma said an equally excited smile etching itself across her lips.

"Exactly, and I think I know exactly where her book is."

With a flourish of her hand and a plume of purple smoke, Regina is as perfect as she usually is in a button down light blue shirt and pair of black trousers, her hair out of its messy bun and her make up impeccable. She looks at the woman still sitting on her floor, "Well what are you waiting for? Let's go visit my mother."

Emma just looks at her with disbelief, "You really can't just do that in the morning instead of making we wait a ridiculous amount of time? You know that's rubbing off on Henry."

Regina lets out a bit of a laugh and just walks towards the door to grab her coat. "Are you coming Miss Swan?"


End file.
